There is a common perception in the Indie TTRPG scene that a creator must constantly roll out new creations for the market in order to stay relevant and known. This is driven by a number of factors. Economic need, certainly, but also a nostalgic belief by consumers that Indie creators should follow a constant release scheduling like the large TTRPG companies manage. Sadly, that perception is born out by our collective excitement for the New Hotness in tabletop games coupled with our collective goldfish-like memory of a creator’s past creations. Certainly I’m not immune to that feeling, even as I try to work past it.
That is one among many reasons I was overjoyed for the chance to discuss Sapphicworld with its creator, Darling Demon Eclipse, who was able to take a longer view of the creation process.
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Brent: Thank you for taking the time to talk with me, Eclipse. For our readers not yet familiar with your work, please tell me a bit about yourself.
Eclipse: Thanks for having me, Brent! My name is Eclipse, or Darling Demon Eclipse. I’m a TTRPG creator, streamer and artist. I finished grad school last year and I’m still job hunting, so in the meantime I have plenty of time to work on my little projects.
B: What drew you into tabletop roleplaying games? What was your “hero origin story” in the hobby?
E: I initially started playing Dungeons & Dragons at my local library when I was in high school, and then started running my own games. I found the ideas, settings and genres that D&D had to offer me lacking, so I did a lot of my own settings, including tons of homebrew. I eventually realized that I didn’t enjoy the wargame vibes of D&D, and wanted more theater-of-the-mind, ballroom style games.
B: How and when did you shift from player/GM to designing your first game? Was that gradual or did you jump in right away?
E: It took me a while to actually write my first game, compared to when I started running and playing TTRPGs – 3 years, I believe. I started with a one-page version of my post-apocalyptic community building / adventure game 3RD EMPIRE, which came from a sort of obsession with Lo-Fi Games video game Kenshi. Making that game was really important for realizing that I could simply make a game, and so from there I found myself plugging away at a lot of little prototypes.
B: You’re at a convention or game day and someone is interested in playing Sapphicworld. What do you tell them about the game to grab their attention and get them to the table?
E: I’d focus first and foremost on the loose, adventurous, flirty vibe of the game. I’ve tried my best to make Sapphicworld a big, explorable, kinky dating simulator, and I think that comes off even in a single playtest. It’s sword & sorcery & sex.
B: In your press release you describe the game as “Inspired by Jewish occultism, Celtic myth and queer kink communities […]”, which is not a combination most folks would expect. Can you talk about those inspirations individually, and what made them a good blend?
E: Sure! This project has been an incredible chance to better understand where the beliefs and values I hold come from, being a secular Ashkenazi Jew. Jewish culture and mysticism, in both obvious and subtle ways, is the lifeblood of Sapphicworld – Sapphicworld’s cosmology is structured in the shape of the Sefirot, and golems are an essential element of the setting. At the same time, Celtic myth like the Tuatha Dé Danann and their three pagan deities represent the ancient history of Sapphicworld, and the broader natural magic of the setting. All of this is tied together by kink, in my opinion. It’s easier for such disparate mythologies to coexist when things are a little sexy, a little silly. The fact that there are golems with pink fluffy handcuffs tied to their belts and vikings obsessed with petplay means that your belief is already somewhat suspended, and in the place of suspended belief is where mythologies best fuse and shift.
B: Having spent two years in production, Sapphicworld is obviously a labour of love. Can you talk a bit about the process of creating and refining a game over that period of time? What are some benefits and pitfalls you’ve encountered?
E: Well, the most important part of the process has been never, ever writing in-layout. I write all my work in Google Docs with as little formatting as is viable, so when the time comes to finally put it into layout it’ll be a lot easier. In terms of design, I think the time I’ve taken has given me a lot of chances to imagine and reimagine the game. Its main moves have gone through a couple of phases, and are likely about to go through one more. The main pitfall is burnout – sometimes, I just don’t want to work on the game. That’s why I try to have other projects open.
B: Despite steps made towards inclusion in the TTRPG space, there is obviously still a road ahead. How much of Sapphicworld’s design is intended to allow those marginalized in the space to see and play themselves in a game?
E: There are a lot of elements to this issue, so I’ll try and tackle a few of them. Sapphicworld contains a diversity of NPCs and the potential to play diverse characters. I’ve broadly avoided sexism, ableism and racism in the text, and emphasized the power of diversity in the text. I think Sapphicworld specifically avoids common fantasy traps around ‘ancestry’ and ‘race’ by having someone’s physical form be shaped by different transformations – one must become a dragon or an elf, just as one must become a vampire or werewolf. There is no fantasy racism in Sapphicworld, because anyone can become an elf.
B: One of the experiences that Sapphicworld puts on the table is an opportunity for “…kinky romance…”. How does the game approach presenting those opportunities in a respectful and safe manner?
E: Sapphicworld has a robust safety section that offers a ton of potential tools and discussion questions to facilitate conversations around intimacy and safety. I’m currently working on some of the moves to sharpen them even more in this direction, but the goal with Sapphicworld’s moves is to have them be two-way, consensual and participatory, while also being fun and kinky.
B: Playtesting is ongoing in your Discord, and I know interested folks can have the opportunity to join those. Is there a timeline of when the game might be available to the public? Are there plans to crowdfund Sapphicworld to bring it to publication?
E: There’s currently no timeline, but I’m hoping to get it out by 2024. There will likely be a crowdfunding campaign for the game.
B: As a designer, what other games out there right now excite you? What are you drawn to as a designer and as a player/GM?
E: Most recently, I adored Possum Creek Games’ Yazeba’s Bed & Breakfast. I think it combines a lot of elements that are underappreciated in modern TTRPGs that I’m often trying to bring back with my own work. Not as recent is Fellowship 2e by Vel Mini, which is a great well for any fantasy TTRPG creator to draw from. I think my vibes are similar as a designer and as a player/GM – I want something that’s simple to play yet robust in execution. A simple framework with plenty of stuff in it, I suppose.
B: Your focus has obviously been on Sapphicworld, but are there any future projects coming up? Anything you can tease or talk about?
E: I’m currently working on a supplement for Riley Rethal’s Galactic 2e with a focus on exiles, mystics and trauma. Keep an eye out for that!
B: Thank you again for talking with me! Where can folks find you if they want to see what you’re up to?
E: Thanks for having me, this has been a great chance to chat about my work. Folks can find me on Twitter, Tumblr, Twitch and Itch.
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Thanks again to Eclipse for the chat! If you want to see more and possibly join the playtest, please join the Discord and get involved. Meantime, stay tuned for another Indie TTRPG interview, we have plenty more on the way!
